Inner tube for pneumatic tires.



No. 97,055. 7 Patented Apr. 8, I902.

- F. A. WILCOX.

INNER TUBE FDR PNEUMATIC TIRES.

(Application filed Fei). a. 1902. (N o. M o d e I fit UNTTE STATESPATENT OFFICE.

FRANK A. WILCOX, OF ERIE, PENNSYLVANIA.

INNER TUB E FOR PNEUMATIC TIRES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 697,055, dated April 8,1902.

Application filed February 6, 1902. SerialNo. 92,803- (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, FRANK A. WILcoX, a citizen of the United States,residing at Erie, in the county of Erie and State of Pennsylvania, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Inner Tubes forPneumatic Tires; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full,clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame, reference being had to the ac-, companying drawings, and to theletters of reference marked thereon, forming part of this specification.

My invention relates to inner tubes for pneumatic tires, andparticularly to that class of inner tubes which are used within avsheath'or casing in which the terminals of the inner tube are closed andoverlap each other in the tire sheath or casin g.

The objects of this invention are to effect the economical and permanentclosure of the ends or terminals of such inner tubes without the use ofmolded caps or other additional parts, so that they will effectuallypreventthe escape of air therefrom and be adapted to overlap and resistrupture when the tubes are inflated in the tire sheath or casing and inuse.

The features of myimprovement are hereinafter set forth and described,and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 shows aplan view of a section of an inner tube flattened and before the closureis efiected. Fig. 2 shows the same, partially in section,with the endthereof folded inward. Fig.3 shows the same,partially in section,withone side of the inward fold cemented to the inside surface of the tube.Fig. 4: shows the same, partially in section, with the adjacent faces ofthe inward fold cemented together and the closure completed. Fig. 5shows a sectional View of the closure of the end of the tube wheninflated.

In the drawings illustrating my invention, A indicates a flattened endsection of an inner tube, and A the end portion thereof to be turnedback into the tube A in forming the closure of the end thereof. One sidea of the end A of the flattened tube A is preferably cut away, asillustrated in Fig. 1, so that it is somewhat shorter than the side a.The inside face 13 of the side a is then coated with cement C, afterwhich the end portion A of the tube is turned back into the inside ofthe tube A approximately to the dotted line D, which brings the cementedsurface B adjacent to the inside surface E of the tube A, as illustratedin Fig. 2. Pressure being then applied, the cement C firmly joins thesurface B to the adjacent inside surface E of the tube A, as illustratedin Fig. 3. Cement being then applied to the adjacent faces F F of theinturned portion A, as shown in Fig. 3, and pressure applied, the facesF F of the inturned portion A of the tube are firmly joined together, asillustrated in Fig. 4, and the closure of the end of the tube completed,the adjacent faces F F of the inturned portion A of the tube beingfirmly joined together and the surface B of the said inturned partsecurely joined to the inner surface E of the tube, which completedclosure is further illustrated in the inflated section of the tube shownin Fig. 5.

I have described a convenient way of ma nipulating the tube in making myimproved closure; but it is obvious that in making this tube-closure thetube can be manipulated in other Ways, if desired. Therefore I do notconfine myself to the several steps described in the making of thisclosure.

Having thus described my invention, so as to enable others to practicethe same, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent ofthe United States, is-

In an inner tube for pneumatic tires, an end closure comprising the endportion there of turned back into the tube, and one side of the inturnedportion of the tube cemented to the inner surface of the tube, and theadjacent faces of said inturned portion of the tube then cementedtogether, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FRANK A. VVILCOX.

Witnesses:

H. M. SrURoEoN, F. J. BASSETT.

